Terror risk remains high in Germany

BERLIN, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Germany's defense minister Sunday said he would order a hijacked passenger plane shot down to protect the rest of the country.

"If there were no other way, I would give the order to shoot it down to protect our people," Josef Jung told Focus Magazine.

Germany's federal constitutional court has said a hijacked plane can not be destroyed if any innocent victims are on board, Deutsche Welle said.

Jung's comments came after the arrests earlier this month of three men accused of planning to attack the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, among other targets.

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the risk of a terror attack remains high despite the arrests, Deutsche Welle said.

Intelligence experts are convinced terrorists will one day attack with nuclear weapons, Schaeuble said.